Keep your business protected as you move to the cloud

As technology evolves, more companies are becoming increasingly reliant on digital innovations. This blog has previously discussed the importance of training employees on best practices to keep sensitive data protected, but exactly how important is it to be wary of online threats?

Small to medium-sized business owners cannot have the mindset that cyber criminals will not care about their organization. Recent research shows that cloud computing has become an exceedingly common business trend, and experts believe that companies must shift their focus to providing the right security for their company.

According to a survey by Symantec Corp. and the Ponemon Institute, human errors and system problems caused two-thirds of data breaches in 2012. Specifically, this included employee mishandling of confidential data, lack of system controls and violations of industry and government regulations.

"Given organizations with strong security postures and incident response plans experienced breach costs 20 percent less than others, the importance of a well-coordinated, holistic approach is clear," Anil Chakravarthy, executive vice president of the Information Security Group, Symantec, said in a press release. "Companies must protect their customers' sensitive information no matter where it resides, be it on a PC, mobile device, corporate network or data center."

Another report, "The TechInsights Report 2013: Cloud Succeeds. Now What?" commissioned by CA Technologies, found that 55 percent of surveyed U.S. businesses said they have three or more years of cloud use in daily operations.

Essentially, business owners cannot implement new systems without also adding in a strong technology insurance. When paired with thorough employee training, company leaders can rest assured that all team members are working toward keeping the organization protected.